Saving Seafood

NMFS Partially Approves Herring Framework Adjustment 4: Empty Fish Hold Provision Not Adopted

April 6, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) partially approved Framework Adjustment 4 to the Federal Herring Fishery Management Plan—the final rule published today, April 4th. The empty fish hold provision, which was recommended by the New England Fishery Management Council and provisionally adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in Amendment 3 to the Interstate FMP, was not approved. The justification for not approving this provision is provided in the following excerpts from the final rule. The final rule can be found at: https://federalregister.gov/a/2016-07583.

NMFS could not approve the empty fish hold provision because “…there is insufficient support in the record to conclude that herring vessels are harvesting excess fish and discarding unsold fish at sea. The costs associated with a herring trip, including fuel, crew wages, and insurance, are substantial, so it is unlikely that vessel operators are making herring trips to harvest fish that will ultimately be discarded.”

In addition, NMFS determined “Framework 4’s proposed waiver provides no way of verifying the amount of fish reported relative to the amount of fish left in the hold. Therefore, NMFS does not believe that this measure contains a viable mechanism to verify whether harvested fish that are left in the hold were reported by the vessel.”

Ultimately, “Because the measure lacks a mechanism to verify or correct the amount of fish reported on the VTR, the measure is unlikely to improve catch monitoring in the herring fishery. In contrast, the compliance and enforcement costs associated with the measure may be high.”

As stated in Amendment 3, implementation of the empty fish hold provision is contingent on federal adoption. Since NMFS did not approve this provision, ASMFC will maintain status quo measures on this issue. Under status quo there is no requirement to empty vessel holds of fish prior to a fishing trip departure. Amendment 3 was updated to reflect this information and can be obtained at: http://www.asmfc.org/uploads/file//57042f26Amendment3_RevisedApril2016.pdf.

Aggregated Large Coastal Shark and Hammerhead Shark Management Groups Reduced to 3 Sharks per Trip

March 30, 2016 — The following was released by the National Marine Fisheries Service:

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is reducing the retention limit for the commercial aggregated large coastal shark (LCS) and hammerhead shark management groups for directed shark limited access permit holders in the Atlantic region from 36 to 3 large coastal sharks (other than sandbar sharks) per vessel per trip as of 11:30 p.m. on April 2, 2016. As agreed upon by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Coastal Sharks Management Board (in December 2015), the Commission will follow NMFS for in-season changes to the retention limit.

NMFS takes this action because 24% or 6.6 mt dressed weight (dw) of the available quota for the hammerhead shark fishery has been harvested. If the average catch rate continues, it is projected that landings would reach 80% of the quota by mid-May. The LCS management group is affected because the quotas for the LCS and hammerhead shark management groups are linked.

The retention limit for the LCS and hammerhead shark management groups will remain at 3 large coastal sharks (other than sandbar sharks) per vessel per trip in the Atlantic region (federal and state waters) through the remainder of the 2016 fishing season or until NMFS announces via the Federal Register that another adjustment to the retention limit or a fishery closure is warranted. As previously stated, NMFS intends to increase the commercial retention limit around July 15, 2016, as this was the date used for recent prior season opening dates. However, any future change in the retention limit will not be made unless deemed appropriate.

Read the ASFMC release

ASMFC Releases 2015 Annual Report

March 2, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is pleased to provide you with our 2015 Annual Report, http://www.asmfc.org/files/pub/ASMFC_AnnualReport_2015.pdf. It describes the Commission’s activities and progress in carrying out our public trust responsibilities for the valuable marine fisheries under Commission stewardship. Included in this report are figures displaying the historical trends in stock status or landings for each species managed by the Commission.  Also provided is a summary of the significant management actions Commissioners took in 2015 to maintain and restore the abundance of Commission managed species. 

This report reflects our Commissioners’ commitment to accountability and transparency in all they do to manage and rebuild stocks under their care. We hope that you will find the information contained within this report useful and interesting. 

ASMFC 2016 Winter Meeting Final Agenda and Meeting Materials Now Available

January 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 2016 Winter Meeting can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2016-winter-meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee.  For ease of access, all Board and Section materials have been combined into one PDF. 

The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of meetings. Interested parties should anticipate meetings starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 9:00 a.m. on February 2nd and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 3:45 p.m.) on February 4th. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board/section deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. No comments or questions will be accepted via the webinar. Should technical difficulties arise while streaming the broadcast, the boards/sections will continue their deliberations without interruption. We will attempt to resume the broadcast as soon as possible. To register for the webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/86228471613051649.

As a reminder, the guidelines for submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action) are as follows: 

1.   Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included with the main meeting materials.

2.   Comments received by 5:00 PM on the Tuesday immediately preceding the scheduled ASMFC Meeting (in this case, the Tuesday deadline will be January 26, 2016) will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.   Following the Tuesday, January 26, 2016 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

Fate of New England shrimp fishery will be decided soon

November 23, 2015 — ELLSWORTH — Fishermen wondering whether there will be a shrimp season this winter won’t have long to wait for an answer.

On Monday, Dec. 7, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section and Advisory Panel will meet in Portsmouth, N.H., to decide whether boats from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts will be allowed to this winter. Last year, the regulators imposed a moratorium on fishing because scientists said the shrimp stock was on the verge of collapse.

Next month, the scientific advisory panel will meet to review the 2015 Stock Status Report and develop recommendations for the 2016 fishing season. The section will meet later in the day to set specifications for the 2016 fishing season, if there is to be one, after reviewing the 2015 Stock Status Report and the advisory panel recommendations.

Information from the ASMFC suggests that another moratorium is likely. According to surveys in the Gulf of Maine, between 2012 and 2014 the abundance of shrimp and the size of the shrimp biomass were at their lowest levels in the 31-year history of the survey. The 2014 fishable biomass was the lowest on record.”

The presence of juvenile shrimp in the survey was discouraging as well. Shrimp hatched during 2013 were not expected to reach fishable size until 2017 and the level of recruitment in 2014 was the ninth lowest since the surveys began.

In a document prepared to introduce the public to proposed changes to the Northern Shrimp Fishery Plan (which have been postponed), the ASMFC said that scientists believed that “the northern shrimp stock has collapsed with little prospect of recovery in the near future.

Read the full story at The Ellsworth American

ASMFC Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Board Revises 2016 Black Sea Bass Specifications & Initiates Draft Addendum for Regional Management of 2016 Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Recreational Fisheries

November 5th, 2015 — St. Augustine, FL — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Management Board approved increases to the 2016 black sea bass commercial quota and recreational harvest limit (RHL), with the commercial quota now being set at 2.71 million pounds and the RHL at 2.88 million pounds. These increases are consistent with actions taken by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in October.  The increased quota for black sea bass was based on updated catch and survey information. A black sea bass benchmark stock assessment is underway for completion in December 2016.

The Board initiated development of Draft Addendum XXVII to the Summer Flounder and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plans (FMP) to consider extending use of regional management approaches for the 2016 recreational summer flounder fishery, including an option that would allow for a Delaware Bay specific region. The Draft Addendum also will propose extending use of ad-hoc regional management approaches for black sea bass recreational fisheries in 2016 and 2017. In the event the options in Draft Addendum XXVII are not approved for management, the Board extended the current summer flounder regional management approach for use in 2016.

In 2014, the Board approved Addendum XXV to shift away from traditional use of state-by-state harvest targets under conservation equivalency to use of an alternative regional strategy for managing summer flounder recreational fisheries. Based on its success in keeping recreational harvest within the RHL and providing greater regulatory consistency among neighboring states, this strategy was extended for use in 2015. State-by-state harvest targets previously utilized under conservation equivalency created difficulties for some states as overages occurred due largely to state shares and limits not reflecting local summer flounder abundance and its availability to recreational fishermen. In 2014 and 2015 management regions were the following: Massachusetts; Rhode Island; Connecticut-New Jersey; Delaware-Virginia; and North Carolina.

The Draft Addendum also will propose the continued use of regional management for the 2016 black sea bass recreational fishery with a northern (Massachusetts – New Jersey) and southern region (Delaware – North Carolina). The regional management approach has been used since 2011 and offers advantages over coastwide regulations by addressing geographic differences in the stock (size, abundance and seasonality) while maintaining the consistent application of management measures by neighboring states.

Draft Addendum XXVII will be presented to the Board for its consideration and approval for public comment at its joint meeting with the Council in December. At the December meeting, the Board and Council also will consider black sea bass and scup federal management measures for 2016. For more information, please contact Kirby Rootes-Murdy, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at krootes-murdy@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740.

ASMFC 74th Annual Meeting Final Agenda and Meeting Materials Now Available

October 22, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The final agenda and meeting materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 74th Annual Meeting can be obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2015-Annual-Meeting; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. The agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of meetings. Interested parties should anticipate meetings starting earlier or later than indicated herein.

For ease of access, meeting materials for all the Boards/Sections, including the ISFMP Policy Board and Business Session are combined into one PDF (http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2015AnnualMeeting/CombinedFiles.pdf). This PDF does not include materials for any other committees that will be meeting; nor does it include the Benchmark Stock Assessment and Peer Review of Red Drum, which can obtained at http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/2015AnnualMeeting/RedDrumAssmt.pdf.Some documents may be large, so please be patient downloading. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website next Wednesday, October 28th.

Board/Section meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning at 8:00 a.m. on November 2nd, continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:45 p.m.) on November 5th.  The webinar will allow registrants to listen to the proceedings of the Commission’s management boards/sections during the  74th Annual Meeting, November 2-5, 2015. Registrants will also be able to view presentations and motions as they occur. No comments or questions will be accepted via the webinar. Should technical difficulties arise during the streaming of the broadcast, the boards/sections will continue their deliberations without interruption. We will attempt to resume the broadcast as soon as possible. To register for the webinar, please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2086181846563838978.

Board/Section summaries, presentations, and audio files will be available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2015-Annual-Meeting the week of November 9th.

As a reminder, the guidelines for submission of written comment for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action) are as follows: 

1.   Comments received 3 weeks prior to the start of a meeting week will be included with the main meeting materials.

2.   Comments received by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting and a limited number of copies will be provided at the meeting.

3.   Following the Tuesday, October 27, 2015 5:00 PM deadline, the commenter will be responsible for distributing the information to the management board prior to the board meeting or providing enough copies for the management board consideration at the meeting (a minimum of 50 copies).

The submitted comments must clearly indicate the commenter’s expectation from the ASMFC staff regarding distribution.  As with other public comment, it will be accepted via mail, fax, and email.

CONNECTICUT: Managers consider how to save southern New England lobsters

October 2, 2015 — OLD LYME, Connecticut (AP) — An interstate regulatory committee is set to meet to discuss new management possibilities for southern New England’s imperiled lobster population.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Southern New England Lobster Subcommittee is meeting in Old Lyme on Friday. The group will consider potential management tools to help preserve the species, which has crashed to record low levels.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the Boston Herald

 

ASMFC: Atlantic Herring Area 1A’s Trimester 3 Landing Days

September 25, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section members from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, with input from industry, set a “days out” effort control measure to allow three (3) consecutive landing days per week in Area 1A during Trimester 3 (October 1 through December 31). Effective 12:01 AM, Monday, October 5, the Trimester 3 Atlantic herring fishery will move from zero landing days to three landings days. Vessels may fish and land Atlantic herring from 12:01 AM each Monday through midnight on Wednesday throughout Trimester 3. Thursday through Sunday are “no landing” days. Please note a state may implement different start and finish times for the three consecutive landing days.

Landings will be monitored closely and the directed fishery will be closed when landings reach 6,971 metric tons (mt). This value represents 92% of the Area 1A quota and accounts for Trimester 2 overages, and research and fixed gear set-asides.

In addition, the spawning area in Massachusetts-New Hampshire is closed until October 18. Vessels participating in other fisheries may possess no more than 2,000 pounds of Atlantic herring per trip in a spawning closure area.

Please contact Ashton Harp at aharp@asmfc.org or 703.842.0740 for more information.

ASMFC Atlantic Herring Trimester 3 Days Out Conference Call — September 24th at 9 AM

September 15, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Atlantic Herring Section member states of Maine, New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will meet via conference call on Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 9 AM to discuss Area 1A (inshore Gulf of Maine) days out measures for the Trimester 3 fishery (October 1 – December 31). To join the conference all, dial 1.888.394.8197 and enter passcode 499811.  For more information, please contact Ashton Harp, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator, at aharp@asmfc.org.